Shandro Historic Village (Closed)
This post is from 2017, and shot the year before, but with fall 2024 updates. It was never a town to speak of, more a locality or a dot on the map reference point for the general area. So not an incorporated community (for Barb Foran: one lacking a municipal charter), but nonetheless it was a beloved home for some folks. It has a name, this spot on the plains northeast of Edmonton and it’s Shandro.
There’s something pretty interesting here and join us for a private tour (it’s not open to the public).
Here, along the highway and off to one side is a museum. A closed museum and it was last open to the public a couple of decades back (give or take). But it’s intact and kept up. It looks old and tired but still welcoming, yet welcoming no one. This is Shandro Village, sometimes Shandro Historic Village, or officially, the Historical Village and Pioneer Museum at Shandro.
Shandro Historic Village (Closed): a former living history museum that’s not seen visitors for years. By Chris Doering and Connie Biggart. (BIGDoer/Synd)
The museum’s theme is Ukrainian Culture. Lots of settlers in the area came from the old county to here and Shandro is named after one.
This is more of a general and very casual look at the buildings seen here and not a deep history lesson. Still, we’ll chat a bit about the things seen as space permits.
At Shandro Historic Village (Closed).
There’s a good compliment of buildings, curious relics we supposed to those driving the road that passes out front. “What’s that place?” “A museum…darn it’s closed.”
There’s the old Willingdon Train Station, brought in from that nearby town and a wind-powered grist mill. There’s a hall where functions were once held, and an old river ferry (North Saskatchewan) that once replaced by a bridge was out of work and brought here to be put on display.
There are several Ukrainian-style farmhouses (the Koshman home built in 1903 is one) and a one-room school (Quiet Nook, 1911-1957). There used to be many of the former in this area and thousands of the latter all across the province.
The centrepiece at Shandro is a traditional Orthodox Church – you might hear them called Ukrainian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox Churches, or Russo/Greek Orthodox Churches. This is St Mary’s from 1904 (other reports say 1906) and it’s been on display here at Shandro Village since the mid-1960s. It’s been here almost as long as it was in use.
It’s in the Byzantine style with a prominent dome topped by a cross unique to the Orthodox Faiths. They have three cross-arms, the bottom one usually at a tilt and often the others display elaborate club-shaped capped ends. It travelled almost 70km to be here.
Churches in this style were usually elaborately decorated inside and this one is a very early example. As such it’s more rustic in form when compared to others, but to enter the building is to be in awe. It could bring you to tears, in an historic sense, a cultural sense, and a spiritual sense. Yet, it seems forgotten.
A model cemetery sits out back and the lettering on the gravestones is in old county Cyrillic.
There’s a small collection of farm machinery and equipment here. Also, there are various old-school conveyances, sleighs and wagons, and things like that. The main focus at Shandro was buildings and through them it was way to celebrate Ukrainian culture.
Shandro Historic Village dates back to the late 1950s when some locals got together and decided it was important, and pressing, to document the early history of the area. Most of the buildings and other bits were brought in at that time and others into the 1970s. It was a “living history” museum, one with volunteers playing interactive characters from the past. Someone might be baking bread, another might be working the smithy and all dressed in period clothes.
Visitor counts at the start were good but dropped off over the years and the group struggled to keep the place open at the end. Then, in the late 1990s, they closed the doors forever. Since then Shandro Village has been kept up and used occasionally for community events and the odd wedding. Every once in a while, they let the public in but most of the time it’s empty. Empty, silent, and lost.
The future is uncertain. It’s being taken care of, and watched over by protective neighbours, but one must ask, how long can a closed museum exist? There’s no money, the caretakers are growing older and there’s no one to take their place. Consider it a holding pattern at best.
Arranging access was both a thrill and somewhat bittersweet. It’s so sad to see it in such a state and we going in it would tug at our heartstrings. The gate’s opened for us and we’re told to lock up when we leave. Once in a while a local would stop by to check us out, and satisfied we were here on official business, they’d soon leave.
We wander about, Team BIGDoer, along with art photographer Rob Pohl and his giant view camera. It’s this strange thing, an odd anachronism that shoots film. Big film. It seems fitting, given the setting I guess. Old museum, old camera.
We separate and shoot, capturing whatever angle Shandro Village offers up and draws us in. Each approaches it in their own special way but as it turns out, we end up capturing a lot of similar photo. Being a train buff, the ex-CPR station gets its fair share of attention from us. Boxes of old papers inside get a look.
The Alberta Social Credit Party? This is before our time and this former juggernaut of provincial politics has been dead since, what, the 1970s? Their platform was conservative and to many people we’ve spoken with stated “ultra” conservative. Politics is not our thing and is often headache-inducing.
MacLeod’s Catalogues…remember that firm…thumbing through them keeps us busy. The fashion, the style, it’s both amusing and takes us back. I’m pretty sure my Mom had that kitchen set…everyone’s Mom did…and that cabinet TV! Goodness, those prices. Some seem so cheap and others too expensive for the time.
A big console TV commanded a princely sum back then but that’s relative to the income at the time.
With every corner turned, there’s new stuff to see. The big picture, the minute details and everything in between. So many things that once meant something to someone and now they’re collecting dust. We sit in the school for a moment, with bird droppings, scattered feathers, and mummified remains of some unfortunate winged beastie and reminisce. As much as I hated school, it felt like the proper thing to do. Much respect for the kids that went here.
The church – Team BIGDoer has a thing for them. We have a fine respect for those who attend any and have the faith, whichever branch of faith they followed. We find old churches serene, peaceful and they make one think.
The ferry’s looking pretty rotten and small trees grow on its deck. Inside a building, there an old chest full of plates. Curling gear, old phones and all manner of worldly possessions. Uncle Ben’s? Flashback time! The old man loved his cheap beer, and this was often his go-to brand. It’s swill from the old days, “Brewed with Pure Manitoba Spring Water.” Translation: a hose running to the nearest ditch in Transcona where the brewery once stood.
Uncle Ben, aka Ben Ginter, really rocked that flat top. He looked the part of a a real man’s man…an inebriated real man’s man perhaps, but one nonetheless. Beer memories are always warm and fuzzy.
Inside the farmhouses, it’s striking how people lived so humbly back then. We got it cushy. These people were hard-core and their resolve to be admired. People today wouldn’t last a week in their shoes and it’s a safe bet many wouldn’t last a day. Hard work, no smartphones, simple food, remote farm living, no modern conveniences and yet they seemed more at peace.
It took this windmill to make flour and a bag of Robin Hood from the local Safeway was not an option. Communal kitchen…smell the cooking. Pedaheh/Perogies, Cabbage Rolls and Beet Soup, all staples. A row of storage jars are filled with spices and the panty full of everything needed.
We look at the watch and are amazed at the time that’s passed. We’ve been here that many hours? That say time flies sure was spot on here and I guess that’s why the camera cards are full. And Rob, he’s shot, maybe ten or twelve frames…yup that’s about right for the time. Shooting his way means slowing down. Glacially slow.
We pull out, lock the gate, and with one parting glance back say goodbye. Shandro Village/Shandro Pioneer Museum/Shandro how whatever the name…this visit we’ll remember for a long, long time. It’s only a cluster of old buildings, seen by few, but what a great experience it proved to be. We see so many special places in our travels and one of the most memorable.
2024… We’ve been back a couple of times since this visit and been witness much change. The property has different owner and some of the buildings have been moved away to be saved elsewhere. The train station for example and it’s safe in St Paul now. Other bits and pieces from buildings – trim and window frames for example – have been taken piecemeal by other museums.
The property has been subject to vandalism and theft, especially thanks to outings on online abandoned sites and forums. We read some and they essentially invited people in. The owner worries someone will get hurt or worse.
The property is still maintained but efforts to interest other museums to take some of the remaining buildings have been met with silence. No takers and they’ve been trying for some time. The owner begrudgingly accepts that at some point they’ll have to bulldoze everything and that it’s not something to look forward to. Nothing lasts forever…
The wooden men.
Here’s a recent message we’ve received (verbatim and still in context, but edited for space) about this post and to be honest, it saddened us.
Subject: Shandro Village Museum.
I found your posting from 2017 about the Shandro Village Museum to be very disrespectful of the early pioneers from Ukraine, including my great-grandparents and family who were some of the first settlers there in 1900, the earliest being in 1896. If you don’t understand the culture, do your research before posting your article. My advice to you is to do your research, and understand the area you happen upon, off the Beaton path, and maybe your followers will have more respect for what you do. Barb.
Sigh. We penned a response, quite nice and all given this person’s unfriendly tone, but they blocked it from being received. We’re frankly not even sure what this person’s issue is, as this post is hardly disparaging.
BTW, Chris here, and I grew up from age two with a stepfather named Kabaroff (Blaine Lake SK), so I have a little Ukrainian experience.
We’re no strangers to nasty or insulting messages (especially lately), and people wonder why we want out of this gig…
Know more: (new tab): Shandro Historic Village Shandro Alberta.
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” Chris and Connie have a unique way of documenting the places they visit, not copying the style or technique of others, but making it their own.” Alex Craig, Filmmaker.
Random awesomeness…
Prairie Sentinels of Oberlin Alberta.
Windsor Hotel Trout Lake.
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Date: November, 2016.
Location: Shandro, Alberta.
Article references (and thanks): The Museum Caretaker, Photographer Robert Pohl, TheCanadianEncyclopedia.ca, OrthodoxCanada.ca, and OurRoots.ca.
The Historical Village and Pioneer Museum at Shandro is not open to the public.
In the back corner, this old house.
The random things seen.
Empty, quiet and forgotten.
No one calls anymore.
Soft pastels, welcoming and inviting.
Old farm stuff scattered about.
And this odd contraption…
Inside St Mary’s.
Peaceful and serene…
It’s dead quiet and a storm threatens…
Out back of the church…
No ones really buried here…yet it seems real.
No ones really buried here…yet it seems real.
Stop, turn, a photo, the stillness.
The old river ferry.
This old chest.
School’s in at Quiet Nook.
A step inside is a step back in time.
A student’s view.
Shandro was a “living history” museum.
A communal cook house.
Sleighs and wagons.
Turn left, and it’s this.
The Blacksmith Shop.
Fear of needles? Look away!
Willingdon Alberta’s train station.
Near the entrance, this wind powered grist mill.
A peek inside at the business end of things.
A peek inside at the business end of things.
We’re taken aback by the silence.
Uncle Ben’s, cheap-o swill beer from the old days.
The event’s hall.
The church demands more of our attention.
Sad to see the place empty and unloved like this.
One dead deer…a stuffed one.
Some random view out some random window…yet something special.
The clickity-clack, now silent.
Smell the fresh bread.
Little details, but a big connection to our subject.
Soft light, ratty old old curtains and stillness.
Mow no more.
Canadian Pacific Airways.
This party, once a powerhouse in Alberta politics.
New for 1965!
Images that follow are from Rob Pohl’s view camera.
A grinding mill…Rob Pohl photo large format film.
Rob Pohl film photo – we both shot a similar angle.
And we did similarly on the church exterior too.
Koshman House details…
Storage jars filled with a million things.
It was a wonderful museum to explore in past days. I would like to make reference to the funeral home. Originally it was a small farmhouse about one half mile away. It was placed at the museum as a funeral parlor. The first seven years of my life I lived in this tiny house & then my Dad sold the farm in 1947. I remember the lino, the built-in kitchen cupboard & the two rooms. I was disappointed to see this little house become a funeral home. Just thought that I would share this memory.
Thank you for adding to the story Lorna! How interesting.
I’ve always loved this historical museum, I pass on the way to our cottage.
years back when we could access this place, I’ve taken many family members from the Netherlands. I hope to do that with my grandchildren. Is there a contact number? A donation contact?
would be sad to see this special place go to ruin.
It’s not publicly accessible I’m afraid. The caretaker hinted they were looking to disperse the collection and with one of the buildings due to be moved off the property soon suggests that process has begun.
it may be that one of those house was where my fathers family lived when they first came to Canada back in the late 30s. There are still some buildings on the property that they moved to but the houses are gone. The family was Polish but came from Romania just before the war and lived there only the required couple of years before moving back to Edmonton. The Shandro’s helped our family that first year.
My father turns 90 this year and we have family come in from out east, this is one of the stops this trip.
That community is where my father and his brothers and sister learned to speak 6 or 7 other languages, at their one room school house.
Wow, this is amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Great photos. I spent a fair bit of time creeping around the abandoned buildings as a kid, but I haven’t been there for years.
I’d take over the museum if I had the means. I’d love to see my family’s history continue to be preserved.
Thanks! What a cool connection to the place. It was a very inspiring to photograph. Would love to see it preserved. But where does the money come from? Always that big question.
This is the first of this town. It is interesting. I also have a question. Has anyone having heard a name of a town named Ensleigh? My Dad was born in that town but he rarely spoke about it. I have made some inquiries but wound up with a Goose egg. Anyone out there knowing about this town Ensleigh I would appreciate it.
That name shows up on old maps south of Veteran. Looks like it was more a cross-road, where the local post office was, vs being a real town.
A few weeks ago I heard the name “Shandro” during a meditation.Come to find out it’s an actual place in Canada. I saw a little documentary on youtube on the history of the area. I feel an emotional connection to the place as well as the family story. Not to mention that my middle name is Lamont. Thank you for posting these photos !
That’s an interesting connection! Thanks so much for coming by – drop by again and comment and share when you can.
Haha! This is an entertaining comment for me. I love that documentary, it has my great aunts and their cozy accents talking about food. It is a pretty great story, too.
We’ll have to track down that video!
Elaine I love that documentary and just watched another short one about the area. It warms my heart every time. And there is something about that church that I love as well.
That church is something! Thanks for commenting.
Incredibly beautiful!
Thank you Mother Nature!
Have driven past this museum so many times. Some day we will actually get to go in, I hope! I used to have a contact name and number for touring, but lost in in a move. Is there number posted to call?
BTW, love all the places you guys go. We have been to so many of them and it’s great to see them again through your eyes!
Sorry, the place is not open to the public. So glad you like our work, we so love presenting it, and we’ll keep the good content coming.
Fantastic! Gorgeous buildings!
Some very cool stuff in there. One of the more interesting subjects we’ve documented and as you can see, we get in a lot of interesting places, so that says a lot.
I drive by it every other day. Its very creepy even during the day, thanks for sharing. I would like to tour this. The gates are always locked.
It’s never open I’m afraid. Take a peek from the fence line however. Lots to see from that angle.
Wow – I was almost in tears. .. I wonder if they will ever open it again…
I guess we wrote something powerful then! I’d say it the chance of it reopening are slim. Where’s the money to come from?
I didn’t even know it existed!!! That is really cool!!!
It is a very cool place. A strange time capsule if you will. Thanks for commenting!
Love driving past this place!
Agreed, it’s cool to see even from the road and passing by!
I have always wanted to see inside the of the church. Pleased to see your photos .(and jealous ?)
Happy to oblige and no need to be jealous. We do this cause we love it and not for any fame or fortune.
Interesting, great photos. Thank you so much for sharing. I am sharing too.
Thank you, every share helps keep the lights on here. Appreciate it.
We were up there a few weeks ago and looked for the museum with no luck. Did find the community hall though.
You just missed it. Not far away up the same highway. You can see many of the buildings from the fence.
Would love to visit this place. How far off the beaten path is it?
It’s not open to the public I’m afraid. But you can view it from the road, north of Willingdon.
WOW!! I love this. What a fantastic place to have been able to see. I have been at open museums with no one else around but this is a whole other level lol!
It was a bit creepy, totally exhilarating, serene and peaceful, all at the same time. A real rush of emotions. One of the more interesting place we’ve documented and as you know, we see a lot of cool stuff. Not sure why it took me seven months to do the piece, but that’s not important I guess. Always make it a point to drop by your site. Have a good one Jenn.
So many fantastic photos.. love that train station and that church. Sad to see this museum aging away but I guess that’s the way of things.
Sad indeed. Hard to run a museum even in the big city. How they did it out there, for so long, really reflects on their dedication and the quality of the exhibits. But even that can’t hold you forever. Thanks for commenting Steve!